The Seven Phases of Dasey
by xoDancingDreamerxo
Summary: My first fanfic ever! Derek has finally seen the light, so he's writing a letter to Casey about the progression of their relationship in an attempt to make her see it too. Now a two-shot.
1. The Seven Phases of Dasey

The Seven Phases of Dasey

Derek's POV

Denial. That's how this whole thing started. If we had just been upfront about our feelings from the beginning, none of this would have happened. If we had just tried, maybe we would have been able to quit each other. But now, it's too late.

Hate. That's what everyone saw in our eyes as we wrestled on the bathroom floor, or fought over control of the house. They all thought we hated each other. And they're all wrong. I hate the way our parents got married and screwed up my life. I hate the way I have to fight back these desires just because of what they did. I hate the way we sure as hell can't be together. I hate all of these things. But I could never hate _you_.

Ignorance. Me, you, our family, our friends - we're all ignorant. We thought our feelings for each other could just go away, if we could just stay out of each other's lives. But they couldn't. Our family and friends thought we would never have these feelings for each other - not us, the enemies, the opposites. But we do.

Jealousy. This was always one-sided, on your part, only. Because come on! Me? Derek Venturi? Jealous of Casey McDonald? No way! Just because I hated seeing my best friend date you, or the way I hated it when Trevor started hanging out with you, or the way I picked fight after fight with Max as soon as he started dating you, does NOT mean I was jealous. Which reminds me of phase number 1. Denial.

Love. Ugh, I told myself I was never going to use this word. But with you, Case, it comes easily. I started doing nice things for you, like activating your force field, taking you to prom, and making a video for you while you were in the hospital. You needed these things, and I knew that. I knew it because I know you. And you know me, better than anyone else in the world does. You know when I'm going to do something irresponsible - like having Edwin steal your sappy song or running away from Kendra at dinner. Which brings me back to the reason why we know each other so well. Love.

Anger. You couldn't tell I was angry? You couldn't tell how hard it was for me to watch you find someone else - someone Nora and Dad, Edwin and Liz, Smarti, Dennis and Mom, the whole world would approve of? It made me furious! How could you just trade in what we had, and God only knows what _that_ should be called, for someone like Max?! I couldn't take it. I had to move on, too. I had to find someone to replace you, as close of a comparison to you as I could. Of course, now I know that no one could ever replace you, not even Sally, although I tried very hard to make her. Which brings me to phase number 7.

Acceptance. Yes, I have finally accepted it. After years of struggling with desires and emotions, after going through as many girls as I possibly could to find one who could take your place, I finally realized that none of it would work. No one in this world could take your place. You're the girl who makes me do things I never would have done before I met you. You're the girl who makes me feel guilt, compassion, and love, three emotions I, Derek Venturi, never thought I'd have to deal with. You're the girl I want to spend the rest of my life with, regardless of what people say or think about us. And I know, deep down, you want it too. Our desire for each other has gone from a simple craving to total and complete starvation. I need you, Case, the way I need air to breathe. I've finally accepted that fact, and I'm hoping with this letter, you will finally accept it too. I'm in love with Casey McDonald, my step-sister. God help me.


	2. The Seven Emotions of Casey

_The Seven Emotions of Casey_

Casey's POV

Casey's quivering hands released the white sheet of paper, and it tumbled to the floor. The last thing Derek had told her still echoed in her brain.

"He's in love with me," Casey thought, barely able to wrap her mind around that enormous conclusion. Derek had been completely forward and upfront about his feelings, yet she still couldn't convince herself to believe him.

Casey McDonald glanced at herself in the mirror, taking in her pale face, wavy brown hair, and wide eyes. She was pretty, but nothing special. A nobody compared to Kendra, or Sally.

Her room was the exact opposite of Derek's, clean and tidy. Her bookshelves were lined with novels, and each she had read from cover to cover. She was not Derek's type, the typical dumb blond with a rack the size of Canada. She was Casey.

Why, then, did Derek have feelings for her? He could have any girl in the world, and Casey was pretty sure he had made a pretty large dent on the world's population of beautiful women. They were all members of Derek Venturi's fan club, eager to date the egotistical hockey star that Casey was so fortunate to call her step-brother.

Yet he had chosen her. Her, of all people. The one person he knew he couldn't have.

Casey sighed, flinging herself onto her bed in desperation. She didn't know what to do. Derek had to know by now that she had read his letter. He would be expecting a reply, a sign. Some way of telling him how Casey had received it. And she had nothing to say to him.

The way Casey looked at it, she had three options.

One, she could lie, and deny her feelings once again. There was no possible way the two of them could be together, so attempting it would just be a waste of time. This option left her brain as soon as she had thought of it, however, because no matter how hard either of them tried to ignore the feelings they had, Casey knew they would never disappear. And she really didn't want to hurt Derek, not after he had built up the courage to actually act on his feelings. Besides, a big part of Casey wanted to get to know the real Derek Venturi, the one behind the facade. The one she had fallen in love with so deeply over the years. Option one was out.

Two, she could tell Derek that she had feelings for him, but that they could never act on them. Family would find out, friends would be hurt, and chaos would ensue. Nothing good could come from their relationship. Nothing except the tiny possibility that Casey and Derek could finally find true love. Every romantic bone in Casey's body ached for that feeling. Would it be right to turn away from true love, just to keep the peace? In every romance novel Casey had ever read, the two leads never threw away their forbidden love. Could she?

Or, option three, she could actually try. Date Derek, be with Derek, love Derek. The empty space in her heart throbbed painfully, and Casey knew without a doubt that Derek would be able to fill it. If she gave him that chance.

Suddenly, a fourth option popped into her head. There was one more thing she could do.

Option number four consisted of avoiding Derek by all means possible tomorrow morning, allowing just enough time for her to reach school. She would even go in early if she had to. No one besides Derek would find any suspicion in that. "Casey went to the library again" would be their thoughts. And Derek? He could wait until she got home to hear the good news.

"It's all set," Casey told herself, drifting off to sleep at last. "He'll know what to do. He always does."

* * *

Sure, Casey had dreamt about Derek before. Heck, she saw his face almost every time she closed her eyes, now. That was how far she had fallen. But she had never had a dream like the one she had experienced the previous night.

_She was dressed in a beautiful white gown, her wedding veil hovering over her face. As she approached the altar, the face of a handsome man, about twenty years of age at the time, was all she could focus on._

_Her brain was screaming at her to watch her feet, being the "klutzilla" that she was. Her heart, however, was pulling her even faster down the aisle, anxious to meet her soon-to-be-husband._

_Casey's breathing sped up as she continued to move forward, this time forcing her eyes to skim across the faces of her beloved family. There were six of them, all seated in the front row of the church. Her mother, her father, Lizzie, George, Edwin, and Marti. Each of them smiled happily as she met their eyes, and Casey knew that they were happy for her._

_There was only one person missing in the church, and Casey neared the altar and her fiancé, expecting to see him smiling back at her. Instead, she saw the face of her ex-boyfriend Sam._

"_Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today..."_

_Casey's mind drifted off, allowing her thoughts to tune out the man speaking. Everything was all wrong. She was marrying Sam. Her family approved. Derek wasn't here._

_That last thought ripped her heart open, and Casey clutched at her chest painfully. As much as she cared about Sam, and her family's opinion of her, none of this was worth the throbbing pain that pulsed through her heart._

_As this realization hit, Sam's face began to crease and bubble, and Casey wondered whether he was going to be sick. But instead of throwing up, Sam's entire form altered into another graceful body, now standing before Casey holding a beautiful wedding band._

"_Max?" Casey whispered, shocked at the sudden change in figure. Her ex-boyfriend and the star of the football team now stood before her, smiling._

"_Do you, Casey McDonald, take this man to be your husband?"_

_Casey looked at her family anxiously, wondering how they had reacted to this change in fiancés. Nora seemed unperturbed, Lizzie smiled beautifully, and the rest of the family seemed just as unaffected. Casey was happy, they believed. _

"_But I'm not happy," Casey thought, her mind racing. "I could never be happy with anyone else. Sure, I was for a time, but guys like Sam and Max mean nothing to me, now."_

_As Casey looked into Max's eyes, she stepped back in shock as his whole body began to shake. Was Max having a seizure?_

_At that moment, the football captain disappeared. In his place was a gorgeous brown-haired boy, his tuxedo wrinkled and his signature smirk lighting up his features. _

_Derek._

_Casey's heart leapt with joy. Sure, Derek wasn't perfect, but everyone had their flaws. The most important thing was that she loved him. And that was all that mattered._

"_I do."_

_Casey didn't even hesitate to speak the two most cherished words in a married person's life. She didn't even look to see that her family members were forcing smiles onto their faces, still a bit uncomfortable with the idea of Derek and Casey as a couple. She didn't need to know how they, or the rest of the world, would react. She had Derek, and that was truly all that mattered._

The second Casey's eyes opened, she had already made up her mind. Being with Derek was the right thing to do. It was the only option.

"_I just need to figure out how_," Casey reminded herself, going over her plan from the previous day in her head.

As Casey speedily got dressed, she shoved her hair into a messy ponytail before racing out the door. She didn't pause to see if Derek was there, waiting for her. She needed to get out of the house, and fast.

Casey sprinted down the stairs and shot a quick glance at the kitchen, praying that he wasn't there. Derek, and the rest of the family, were nowhere to be found.

"_It's early_," Casey reminded herself. "_Only a few teachers will be at school already, preparing for the day. That's fine. I'll just wait in his office until he arrives."_

* * *

Luckily, Casey had no reason to wait as she sped down the school hallway. His door was open, and the guidance counselor stood just inside of it, clearly having just arrived.

"You're here early," Casey smiled, entering through the door. She had expected Paul to stare at her, confused and bewildered. Casey normally waited for the school day to start before coming in.

Instead, Paul simply looked at her and smiled.

"I was told to come in early, today. Someone thought you might need to talk to me."

Casey narrowed her eyes, taking a few seconds to process what Paul had just said. Someone had told him she was going to need his help. And the only person who could know her situation right now was...

"Derek," Casey sighed, and Paul nodded, planting himself firmly in the chair behind his desk. "He knows me better than I thought."

"Yes, he does. Now tell me what this is all about, Casey."

"I need your advice," Casey confessed, finally sitting down in the seat across from Paul.

"Of course you do," Paul laughed. "Isn't that why you come in here everyday? What did Derek do now?"

Casey was caught off guard. Did she really talk about Derek so much? Did Paul, the school counselor who knew her so well, have any idea what was going through her head right now?

"I think I'm in love," Casey admitted at last. "With... Derek."

Casey counted the seconds as they went by. Ten, eleven, twelve. It seemed like Paul was going to simply sit there and stare at her, until he finally replied.

"And I think you're right."

Casey's eyes grew as wide as saucers. This most certainly was NOT the reaction she had been expecting.

"You... you do?"

"Of course I do!" Paul laughed, slamming Casey's extremely large file down on the desk in front of her. "I'm not supposed to allow students to see my comments, but I honestly think it will do you some good if you flip through those."

Casey reached for the file carefully, wondering what Paul could have possibly written about her. As she looked at the first page, she noticed the date at the top. It was the first time she had ever come in to see him.

_Has trouble adjusting to new life. Can't accept mother's new marriage. Perhaps something, or someone, is holding her back?_

Casey continued to flip through the pages, watching as they got more recent and much, much more clear.

_Complained about Derek. Again._

_Found yet another reason to relate her problems to Derek._

_Still fighting with Derek._

_Couldn't stop mentioning the name "Derek."_

As shocking as most of these revelations were, the thing that surprised Casey the most was the last page of her file, a page that had obviously been misplaced. Because instead of the subject being about Derek, this time it was about her.

_Has finally come to terms with his feelings for Casey. Is very, very much in love._

"Who's file does this page belong to?" Casey asked her guidance counselor, holding up the piece of paper.

"Oops!" Paul uttered, smiling sheepishly. He reached across the desk to snatch the page away from her. "That wasn't for your eyes to see."

"When did he come to see you?"

Casey waited anxiously for the reply, and Paul finally sighed, giving in.

"Yesterday, he stormed into my office, telling me that he was sick and tired of watching you flirt with other guys. I had to practically wrench the confession out of him."

"Derek told you he loved me?"

"Yes," Paul replied, and Casey's eyes widened in shock.

"But Derek never reveals his feelings to anyone!"

"He had to tell me, so that I could help him figure out a way to tell you. The boy's been on quite the rollercoaster since you moved in."

"I can't believe it," Casey sighed. "And all this time I've been worried about how you were going to react!"

"Don't worry about what other people think, Casey. It's not good for you. Instead, think about what makes you happy. That's really all that matters."

"But our parents-"

"Yes, I know your parents are married, Casey. There's nothing you can do about that. And as much as I shouldn't be encouraging this kind of step-sibling relationship, I can tell you whole-heartedly that I truly believe being with Derek would be the best thing for you."

"You do?" Casey asked him, her heart soaring.

"Yes. I've watched you for a long time, Casey. I know how you think, and how you feel. Trust me. This is what's best."

"Then it's settled!" Casey squealed. "Ooh, I can't wait to tell him!"

"How exactly do you plan on doing that?"

"The same way he admitted it to me," Casey grinned. "A letter."

"Fabulous," Paul smiled. "Let me know how it all works out, and if you need any help with your parents, don't be afraid to ask."

"I won't," Casey promised, getting up from her seat.

"And Casey?"

"Yeah?"

"One more thing."

"What is it?" Casey asked him, growing suspicious again. What else could possibly add into this crazy love equation?

"Emily knows."

* * *

"You know?" Casey shouted at her best friend, causing Emily to leap back in shock.

"Hey, Casey! What do I know?"

"About me and Derek."

"Oh, that you two are madly in love and going to confess your feelings for each other? Yeah, I know all about that."

"How?" Casey asked her, unable to grasp the fact that her best friend knew how Derek felt about her all this time.

"Casey, there's a reason I keep this hallway gossip book. I don't just do this for fun, you know."

"Wait! People have been gossiping about me and Derek?"

"For years, now! They've even placed bets on how long it would take for you guys to figure it out."

Casey shook her head, completely caught off guard. Maybe this wasn't going to be so hard after all.

"And you're not mad?"

"Of course not! I'm over Derek, remember? Besides, you two belong together."

"Thanks, Em. You're the best," Casey grinned, hugging her best friend.

"I know," Emily smiled, relieved that the Casey-Derek mind game was finally put to rest.

* * *

After managing to avoid Derek for the entire day, partly because she wanted to wait until she got home to tell him and partly because he seemed eager to delay truth-time as well, Casey raced through the front door with a determined look on her face.

Pausing to grab a sheet of paper, Casey leapt onto her bed and began writing the letter that would change the rest of her life.

* * *

Derek walked through the door an hour later and headed upstairs nervously, unsure what was to be expected upon entering his bedroom.

As he spotted the small note placed on his bed, his heart began doing summersaults. Sitting down, he began to read the letter curiously.

_Dear Derek,_

_Shock. That's what I felt the moment I read your letter. The fact that you, Derek Venturi, could possibly love me? It was almost impossible to bear._

_Confusion. This and shock pretty much go hand in hand. I didn't understand why you cared about me so much more than all those other girls you've dated. Why did I make such an impact on you? I'm obviously no supermodel, and I certainly wasn't cheerleader material._

_Dread. The worst feeling I've had to experience. There was no way we could be together. Our parents are married. We're step-siblings. End of story._

_Hope. Maybe, just maybe, there was some of this left in the world for us. Maybe, if we tried hard enough, we could find a way to figure this thing out. But I couldn't believe it completely. I needed a second opinion._

_Love. This emotion came to me the minute I closed my eyes. I saw you in a dream, standing next to me at the altar on our wedding day. It was the happiest I'd ever felt, and at that moment, no one else in the world mattered but you._

_Happiness. The fact that Paul and Emily both accepted us sent me into a whirlwind of relief and excitement. If those two could accept us together, maybe our family could too. If we just give them a chance, maybe they'll warm up to the idea of you and me. And if not, I'm fine with that, too._

_Acceptance. The minute I placed pen to paper, I knew I had accepted it. You are the one for me. Once you get this letter, signed, sealed, and delivered, the rest is up to fate. If we're meant to be, as I truly believe we are, then everything will work out. I just need to let go of my anxieties and hand over my heart to the one guy I've ever truly loved._

_I'm in love with Derek Venturi, my step-brother. And everything will be okay._


End file.
